In this episode, Rianne Darko speaks honestly about the realities of care leavers’ housing, she explains the challenges young people who have been in care face and discusses some solutions.  She debunks the terminology and explains the different housing and support models. 

Rianne Darko is a local government commissioner and a qualified secondary school teacher, with over 15 years’ experience working across housing, youth services, and public sector commissioning. Her work focuses on supported accommodation for care leavers, making sure young people have safe, stable homes and the right support as they move toward independence.

Rianne is passionate about shaping services for young people. She’s worked across several London boroughs, leading housing pathways and co-producing services with young people.

Some Relevant links: 

• Ofsted – Supported accommodation guidance (official page)
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/supported-accommodation-for-looked-after-children-and-care-leavers
• Ofsted registration requirements (providers)
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apply-to-register-a-supported-accommodation-service
• Department for Education – National Standards for Supported Accommodation (2023)
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/supported-accommodation-national-standards
• The Supported Accommodation (England) Regulations 2023 (legislation)
  https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2023/1076/contents/made
• Exempt Accommodation definition (DWP guidance)
  https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/housing-benefit-adjudication-circulars

• Alternative Payment Arrangements (direct to landlord)
  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/universal-credit-landlord-request-for-a-managed-payment-or-rent-arrears-deduction

• Housing First England
  https://hfe.homeless.org.uk/

• St Basils – Care Leavers & Youth Housing Pathways
  https://stbasils.org.uk/
• Centrepoint report - From care to where? Care leavers' access to accomodation- https://centrepoint.org.uk/sites/default/files/2023-06/from-care-to-where-centrepoint-report.pdf

Lisa Brown became a property investor after a long nursing career. She initially developed heritage properties and then a chance encounter led her to discover supported living. She realized this was a powerful way to invest in property while creating homes for people with a support need. Lisa set about discovering why property investors struggle to let their properties to supported living providers and why providers struggle to find property to let. She has been educating people, raising awareness and working on solutions to this problem ever since. Lisa is the host of the Supported Living Property Podcast and YouTube channel and formed The Supported Living Property Facebook Group.

Lisa is founder of The Supported Living Property Network, a place for property investors and supported living providers to connect, build relationships and communicate about property they have available and/or need. Membership includes access to training courses, monthly training events and networking events and access to The Supported Living Property Network Conference.

To find out how you can join The Supported Living Property Network please follow this link: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/⁠⁠⁠⁠

Lisa has written a free guide for you:

If you are a property investor download this free guide to help you find providers to lease your property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-property-investors⁠

If you are a provider who is looking for property to lease then download this free guide to help you find property: ⁠https://www.supportedlivingproperty.uk/free-guide-for-providers⁠

These interviews are also available as podcasts from your usual podcast provider, just search for The Supported Living Property Podcast.